Lighting apparatus



Nov; 9 1926.

H. l. WILLIAMS LIGHTING APPARATUS Filed March 22, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Harold I. Williams.

ATTORNEY.

H. i. WILLIAMS LIGHTING APPARATUS Nova 9 1926.

Filed March 22, 1926 2 h hee 13 [NITNTOR Harold LWilliams.

A T TORNE Y.

Ill!

Patented Nov. 9 19.2%.

HAROLD I. 'WILLIAMS, our NEW YORK, 1v. Y. 1

r v LIGHTING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 22.1926. Serial No. 96,406;

This invention relates to improvements in lighting apparatus and more particularly to apparatus used for the illumination of the stage of a theatre, or theatrical production.

The object of the invention is to secure greater l1 'l113111 eiflclenc er unit than is. d b 3 possible with the apparatus now in common use.

One feature of the invention is the provision of a device having a double row of lamp containing compartments arranged in a single housing which does not exceed the over-all dimensions of such devices now commonly used.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of vents through which heated air may escape from the interior of one of the compartments, when its front is enclosed by a color screen.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a hinged cover for the vents which prevents the escape of undesirable light rays and consequent adulteration of the colored light, and which provides a retaining element for one edge of the color screen. p

In one embodiment of the invention, there are provided two trough-like compartments arranged in juxtaposition and separated by a single reflecting wall. Supported on the back walls of each compartment are lamp sockets which are contained in a single longitudinal compartment containing the conductors through which electric current is conducted to the lamps. The bottom and sides of one of the lamp compartments are provided with flanges for holding a color screen over its open side, and the top wall of said compartment is provided with vents through which heated air may escape; In order to prevent the escape of undesirable light rays through the vents, a flange-d cover is hinged to the top wall of the compartment so as to cover the vents and engage the upper edge 01": the color screen, thus holding the latter in place.-

In the drawings Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through a fragment of a stage showing this invention adapted for use as footlights,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a bank of border lights embodying this invention,

Figure 3,-is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale through Figure 2,

fled TfOlIIl of the invention, and

Figure at is a perspective view of a inodi- 5 Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view 7 through Figure-4. v e Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 10 designates a stage provided adjacent its r'ront with the customary trough 11 in which the footlights are usually contained. A shield 12 extends upwardly from the front edge of the stage and curves rearwardly to completely obscure the tootlights.

The bottom; wall of the t-r'ough'll is formed by a continuation of the bottom wall 13 of the lower lamp, containing compart-v ment 1 1. This wall. is bent upwardly toward the forward edge of the stage as at 15 to provide a back reflecting wall for the compartment 1 1. The upper wall 16 or" the compartment 1 1 isxformed of a rearwardly bent continuation of the wall 15 and conipletes a substantially trough-like compart- ,inent which extends the entire width of the stage. v

The upper compartment 17 is formed between the wall 16 and the shield 12 and its back wall 18 is secured as at 19 to the wall 15 of the compartment 1 1. The upper side of the compartment 17 is formed by the curved wall 20 which is formed integrally with the wall 18 and is held in proper position by the. flange 21 formed 'atthe'upper edge of the shield '12. I

The conductor containing compartment 22 is formed by a housing 23, the side walls 24: and 25 of which are respectively attached to the walls 13 and 20. The back walls 15 and 18 of the compartments 14 and 17 are pierced at intervals and have secured thereto the lamp sockets 26 and 27 in which lamps are supported. I

Formed'near the upperfree edge of the wall 16 are rows of openings 28 which provide ventsfor the escape of heated air from compartment 14 when a color screen 29, is in position thereon; A cover 30 is hinged as at 31 to the wall 16 and is provided at its free edge with a downturned flange 32 which partially overlies the color screen 29, as will readily be seen upon reference to Figure l; A bank of what are commonly termed in the art as border lights is designated generically by the numeral 33 and best illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. This bank consists of a pair of trough like compartments and enclosed by walls 36 and 37 respectively and separated by a partition wall 38. The back walls of each of the compartments 3% and 35 are formed integrally with the walls 36 and 37 but disposed in*difierent angular planes thereto. Supported on the rear faces or" the back walls are lamp sockets 39 and O which register, with openings in said walls through which the bases of the lamps ll and E are introduced into the sock-ets. A cover 43 is attached to the walls 30 and 37 adjacenttheir rear edges and pro vides a compartment 44 in which the elec trical conductors are housed. angular disposition of the compartments 34 and 35, and the lamps ll and 42, it will be evident that the lighting eh ciency per unit is greatly increased over any such device as is now in common use. It is to be understood that a color screen may be utilized in conjunction with the device and to this end the customary guides and a cover for vent openings may be provided.

In'the modification best shown in Figures 4 and 5, a housing 44; is provided and carries a partition 4E5 which divides the same into a trough like compartment 46 and a conductor enclosing compartment 1-7. The partition carries a plurality of lamp sockets 48 which register with openings therein through which the bases of lamps (l9 are introduced into said sockets.-

The edges of the housing 44 are provided adjacent its open side with guide flanges 50 which are employed to retain a color screen 51 in position thereon. The upper wall of the housing is provided with a plurality of vent openings 52 to permit heated air to escape from the interior of the device. Hinged as at 53 to the upper wall is a cover 54 which prevents the escape of light through the vent openings above described. The forward edge of the cover 54 is down- Owing to the turned as at 55 to provide a color screen retaining flange which co-acts with the flanges 50 in holding a color screen in place.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts'may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. A lighting unit comprising a trough like housing, means at the open side or" said housing for supporting a color screen, the upper wall of said housing having vent openings therein, a cover to prevent the escape of light through said vent openings,

and means on the cover to retain the color screen in'place.

2. A lighting unit'comprising a trough like housing, means at the open side thereof for supporting a color screen, the upper wall of said housing having vent openings adjacent its forward edge, a cover hinged to the housing for preventing the escape of light through said openings, and a flange at the forward edge of the cover to retain the color screen in place.

A lighting unit comprising a housing,

a partition dividing the housing into trough like compartments, means forming a compartment at the rear of the trough like compartments, the partition having vent openings adjacent its forward edge, means supporting a color screen over the open side of one of said compartments, a cover hinged to the partition wall for preventing the escape of light through the vent openings, and a flange on the cover to retain the color screen in position on its supporting means.

HAROLD I. WILLIAMS.

lll) 

